Don't smoke on Thursday

Nov 20, 2008 (Americus Times Recorder - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- GTAM | Quote | Chart | News | PowerRating -- -- The Georgia Department of Human Resources, Division of Public Health encourages all Georgia smokers to kick the habit once and for all on Thursday: the American Cancer Society's 33rd Great American Smokeout. The Great American Smokeout was inaugurated in 1976, and has inspired millions of Americans who smoke to quit for one day. The event is a great opportunity to get people to make a long-term commitment to quit smoking. In Georgia, there are approximately 1.3 million adults and 104,000 middle and high school students who smoke cigarettes.

"While we have seen a decline in the prevalence of smoking among Georgia's adult and youth population, more can be done on the part of our residents to drive these figures down even further," said Dr. Sandra Elizabeth Ford, acting director for the Division of Public Health. "We want people to use the Great American Smokeout, and the programs and services offered by our agency as a catalyst to quit smoking for good."

Tobacco use remains a leading preventable cause of death and disease in Georgia -- claiming more than 10,000 adult lives each year. Nationally, smoking accounts for an estimated 438,000 premature deaths, including 38,000 deaths among nonsmokers as a result of secondhand smoke. It is estimated that half of all Americans who continue to smoke will die from smoking-related diseases.

Individuals who wish to quit smoking are encouraged to use the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line. The service was established in 2001, and provides cessation services and resources to Georgians seeking to quit all tobacco products. The Quit Line offers services to tobacco users aged 13 years and older, including the hearing impaired and Spanish-speaking callers. Since its inception, more than 82,000 adults have contacted the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line and more than 300 calls have been received by the Youth Quit Line.

In July 2008, the Division of Public Health launched a 12-month pilot Nicotine Replacement Therapy program for Georgia Quit Line clients to decrease tobacco use in the following public health districts: Northwest (Rome), North Georgia (Dalton), South (Valdosta), Southeast (Waycross) and Coastal (Savannah/Brunswick). Adults 18 years of age and older who live in one of the participating health public districts are eligible for the NRT pilot program. Residents must be enrolled in the Quit Line Multiple Call Program and must not be experiencing any medical exclusions. Three choices of NRT are available to participants, including a nicotine patch, nicotine gum and nicotine lozenge. All three choices will be provided at no cost for a total of eight weeks and medical overrides will be in place for those advised against the program, including pregnant women.

Reducing tobacco use among the state's teenage population is a priority of the Georgia Tobacco Use Prevention Program. In Georgia, 6 percent of middle school students and 19 percent of high school students smoke cigarettes, which reflects a national trend of rising rates. In 2005, the Division of Public Health began collaborating with Georgia school systems to help implement the 100 percent Tobacco Free School Policy to combat teenage tobacco use. The policy prohibits tobacco use in school buildings, on school grounds, in school buses or other vehicles used to transport students. A total of 34 school systems in Georgia have adopted the policy with many more to follow suit.

The Division of Public Health reminds current smokers and tobacco users that it is never too late to quit, and doing so could save lives and dollars. For more information about how to quit smoking, please contact the Georgia Tobacco Quit Line at 877-270-STOP in English, 877-2NO-FUME in Spanish and 877-777-6534 for the hearing impaired. Additional information about the Great American Smokeout can be found at: www.cancer.org or by calling 800-ACS-2345.

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